Hello, readers!
I know it is mid-June, but quarantine has altered my sense of time, so it still feels like the "beginning" of summer. Yes, I know I've been out of college for a month now--shhh. Anyways, every summer I make a reading list to get me excited to binge read. I usually am behind on my reading challenge by the time spring semester ends, so summer is the time I catch up. Case in point: I am currently 5 books behind. Enter these 7 books, which make me excited to start reading!
A note: in addition to the categories I usually have--page count, genre, synopsis, I have added one entitled "author info." I try to keep my bookshelf diverse, so I keep track of things like the author's gender, race, and ethnicity. I am aware that these are imperfect categories, but I think it's better for me to take a stab at labeling people rather than pretending that these socially constructed labels don't govern how we interact with others. Because they do. Hence the new category.
1. American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
PAGE COUNT: 400
GENRE: fiction, contemporary
AUTHOR INFO: white American female
SYNOPSIS: Lydia Quixano Pérez runs a bookstore in Acapulco, México. Although drug cartels abound, Lydia lives a rather comfortable life with her husband and 8-year-old son Luca. When Lydia's husband publishes a profile of the jefe (boss) of the newest cartel, she and her son must flee the country. They join other migrants who are fleeing from their problems in México on a treacherous journey to the United States.
I chose this novel because it is critically acclaimed--an Oprah's Book Club selection--and it sounds really interesting. I also think it's important to read stories I can't personally relate to so that I can begin to understand people who have different backgrounds from me. After all, isn't that the whole point of literature? Yet I am curious whether this account is going to be realistic because it is not an own voices story (one based on the author's own experiences). I've read one other migrant story, so I'd like to see how this one compares.
2. Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
PAGE COUNT: 477
GENRE: fiction, contemporary
AUTHOR INFO: black Nigerian female
SYNOPSIS: Nigerian college students Ifemelu and Obinze are eager to start their lives, both individually and together. However, martial law leads to constant strikes and protests from essential workers and university employees, interrupting their higher education. In a search for stability, Ifemelu departs for America and Obinze for the United Kingdom, where they have two very different experiences as immigrants. Fifteen years later, after they have lost touch due to difficult life circumstances, Ifemelu and Obinze are reunited in Nigeria, bringing them back to their roots.
I first read this novel three summers ago. It was my first experience with Adichie, and I fell in love with her writing. She writes about the world using language that is at once unapologetic about the reality it depicts and beautiful in its diction. This novel investigates race, class, gender, immigration, politics, and love, and Adichie does a beautiful job telling the story without it sounding stuffy. I decided to reread this given the current political climate of America because Adichie addresses modern concerns in a way that is sensitive and honest. I am really enjoying it the second time around, and I find my life experiences in the last few years have made it easier to understand. But it's a really long book, and I'm only halfway through, so pray for me, y'all!
3. Beloved by Toni Morrison
PAGE COUNT: 324
GENRE: fiction, historical (w magical realism)
AUTHOR INFO: black American female
SYNOPSIS: Sethe, a formerly enslaved woman who has escaped from captivity, is still in bondage eighteen years later. Although physically free, she is held captive by her memories of enslavement. All of Sethe's memories of slavery assail her when a teenage girl named Beloved enters her life, and Sethe must finally reckon with her past.
I feel like I should probably have my English degree revoked because I've never read Toni Morrison. It seems incomprehensible to me that I never encountered her in my classes, so I've decided to read her most popular novel on my own. I'm excited to finally dive into Morrison, as well as curious to see the combination of magical realism with historical fiction. I have a feeling that I will fall in love with her writing & rush to buy all of her other books.
4. The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
PAGE COUNT: 106
GENRE: nonfiction, political
AUTHOR INFO: black American male
SYNOPSIS: This book, composed of two "letters," written 100 years after the Emancipation Proclamation, calls its American readers, black and white, to address racism in this country. Baldwin weaves together his own experiences growing up black in Harlem with the larger narrative of racial injustice in America to create a stirring call for justice.
I can't recall when I first read Baldwin, but I do remember being struck with the commanding way he wields language when I read "Notes of a Native Son" in a Writing Nonfiction class my junior year. I am currently at the beginning of Go Tell It On the Mountain, and I certainly look forward to reading more of him. Baldwin's writing is unflinchingly honest, which is why it is so captivating. I can't get enough of him.
5. The Fishermen by Chigozie Obioma
PAGE COUNT: 304
GENRE: fiction, contemporary
AUTHOR INFO: black Nigerian male
SYNOPSIS: In a Nigerian village, four brothers decide to sneak away from home to go fishing while their authoritarian father is absent. When they are at the river, a deranged man approaches them and predicts that the oldest will be killed by one of his younger brothers. This prophecy sets in motion a series of events that change their lives.
Although I have not read Chigozie Obioma before, I've decided to read more Nigerian literature this year. I know the African literary canon is rather new, but almost every novel I've read from the tradition, I've enjoyed. I am perfectly aware that the Nigerians aren't the only Africans writing novels; however, I have decided to start there because of Adichie, one of my favorite authors.
6. Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
PAGE COUNT: 309
GENRE: nonfiction, psychology
AUTHOR INFO: white Canadian male
SYNOPSIS: In this book, Malcolm Gladwell investigates what exactly sets apart successful people ("outliers") from us regular folks. He challenges his readers to analyze the backgrounds of high-achieving individuals; that is, the way they've been nurtured.
In April, I listened to Gladwell's Talking to Strangers, which is structured like a podcast. I really enjoyed the methodical way he analyzes people & situations. His books take a different angle from other psychologists I've read, using plenty of real-life anecdotes to illustrate his research. What readers get, then, is alive & dynamic, rather than dry & abstract. Gladwell is incredibly interesting & insightful.
7. Trouble I've Seen by Drew G.I. Hart
PAGE COUNT: 189
GENRE: nonfiction, Christian
AUTHOR INFO: black American male
SYNOPSIS: In this short book, Drew G.I. Hart takes a close look at racism within the American church, weaving together his own experiences growing up black in Pennsylvania with broader observations about racism in the white church. Hart offers practical solutions to churches seeking racial reconciliation in an effort to move closer to Jesus.
I've only just started this book, but I can already tell it will be transformative in the way I approach anti-racist work as a Christian. I took Anabaptist Theology with Dr. Hart during my last semester, so I am excited to learn more from him. His thoughtful & honest instruction actually changed my life, so @ Messiah students, take his classes!
Hopefully this list gives y'all some new books for your tbr. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to get reading!
xx Liz
What's on your summer reading list?